Lolling and Rolling

In South Korea, there was a big controversy surrounding tongue surgery for children in order to achieve better English pronunciation. The surgery is known as a lingual frenectomy. Some people thought that the surgery was particularly effective for English “R” sounds as it is not a consonant that exists in the Korean language. This led to some parents forcing their children to go through the operation, even though they had perfectly normal tongues.

Lolling and Rolling examines Korea’s tragic social phenomenon and obsession for English education. Theatre maker Jaha Koo reveals the tragedy through a fictional story, video and sound work. It contextualises not only contemporary issues but also historical events relating to colonialism and imperialism.